Darren Brown

Darren Brown is a clinical Physiotherapist specialising in Infectious Diseases, Oncology and Palliative Care at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom. His clinical and academic interests are HIV, disability and rehabilitation. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is the largest HIV unit in Europe, and Darren leads the HIV Physiotherapy service providing both inpatient and outpatient Physiotherapy interventions for adults living with HIV. Darren has created and developed the Kobler Rehabilitation Class; a group rehabilitation intervention for people living with HIV providing individualised exercise and HIV-specific education. He invented the mHealth app BeYou+ (@BeYouPlus), which supports self-management strategies among people living with HIV. Darren is the HIV/AIDS special interest coordinator of WCPT Network IPT-HOPE, the vice-chair of the UK Rehabilitation in HIV Association, and a member of the Canada-International HIV Rehabilitation Research collaborative.

Through the eyes of a Physiotherapist – attending a HIV and Sexual Health Conference

What does a Physiotherapist see when attending a HIV and sexual health conference? The answer is; novel science relevant to Physiotherapy practice and produced by Physiotherapists; holistic multidisciplinary approaches that embraces rehabilitation across the continuum of care for people living with HIV; and a strong community of people living with HIV who welcome Physiotherapists to improve research, policy and practice.

This blog is about attendance to the 4th joint conference of the British HIV Association (@BritishHIVAssoc) and British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (@BASHH_UK) in Edinburgh, Scotland, 17-20th April 2018 (#BHIVABASHH18). Physiotherapy and more broadly rehabilitation was present at this conference, so this Blog will explore some of the key features seen through the eyes of Physiotherapist when attending a conference on HIV and sexual health. Maybe next year there will be more Physiotherapists who will get their own experiences. All oral and poster presentations are available online.

Firstly there is the conference content produced by Physiotherapists. Blake George, Physiotherapist from Mildmay (@PhysioBlake) who presented his poster on the profile of mobility experienced by people living with HIV receiving Physiotherapy within an inpatient rehabilitation setting, demonstrating the range of impairments experienced and the positive impact of Physiotherapy on mobility and functional outcomes. Rebecca Mullin, Physiotherapist from Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (@BeccaMullin) presented her poster on a joint Physiotherapy and Dietician metabolic clinic for people living with HIV, highlighting the multi-morbidity experienced at younger ages, and with specialist self-management support from allied health professionals, improvements are observed in cardiovascular risk and body mass index outcomes. I also presented (@darrenabrown) on the HIV Physiotherapist service from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (@ChelWestTherapy) a poster on the introduction of the 5 times it to stand test into a group rehabilitation intervention (Kobler Rehabilitation Class), indicating improvements in function observed when attending some sessions and the value of open access services accommodating episodes of disability. My second poster was on the self-reported functioning and disability of people living with HIV and/or Cancer during acute hospital inpatient care using the WHODAS 2.0, whereby mobility outcomes were the worst scored challenges, with disability severity scores correlating with length of stay and the need of Physiotherapy interventions.

Dr Katherine Bristow (@KCL_CSI) presented initial development data on a novel HIV Patient Reported Outcome Measure or PROMS, which includes 6 domains (physical, cognitive, psychological welfare, social and information needs), plus well-being thermometer and free text. This PROM will include a question on functional capacity in daily living, and the PROM will provide benefits for people living with HIV and for HIV services.

There were so many more topics of relevance to Physiotherapists inlcuding bone health, pain, mHealth, self-management and much much more. Physiotheraists were also highlighted by Dr Laura Waters (@drlaurajwaters) for their role in non-pharmacological management of pain management within HIV care, in the face of the increasing opioid crisis.

Lastly, #BHIVABASHH18 was just great fun. There was loads to learn and share, but you cant beat a conference where the conference organising committee member stage dives at the Gala dinner. Dr Laura Waters, we love you!

Physiotherapists, come join us at the next British HIV Association conference, and see how much you can learn, contribute (and maybe dance).

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